importing an .ost file to OL2007

Hi, I was using Outlook 2003 at my previous employer on a MS Exchange server.
Before I left I backed up my .ost file and .pst files.
I am running Outlook 2007 at home and am trying to work out how to open the
..ost folder. It appears to only be looking for .pst files.

Are you trying to open the .ost file by using File, Open Outlook Data File on
the Outlook menu? Then you can drag anything in that file to your new pst
file. You cannot import a data file without corrupting it, so don't use
Import.

"Tim123" wrote:

> Hi, I was using Outlook 2003 at my previous employer on a MS Exchange server.
> Before I left I backed up my .ost file and .pst files.
> I am running Outlook 2007 at home and am trying to work out how to open the
> .ost folder. It appears to only be looking for .pst files.
>
> Can anyone help please?

>>> Hi, I was using Outlook 2003 at my previous employer on a MS
>>> Exchange server. Before I left I backed up my .ost file and .pst
>>> files. I am running Outlook 2007 at home and am trying to work out
>>> how to open the .ost folder. It appears to only be looking for .pst
>>> files.
>> Are you trying to open the .ost file by using File, Open Outlook Data
>> File on the Outlook menu? Then you can drag anything in that file to
>> your new pst file. You cannot import a data file without corrupting
>> it, so don't use Import.
>
> Hi Mary, I tried that but the only option is to open .pst files, not
> .ost files.
>
> Someone replied below that I cannot do it which is disappointing. I
> cant for the life of me think why I shouldnt be able to do something
> so "simple"

Security reasons.

A security conscious company would have configured your network so that you
were unable to create a PST file, so you wouldn't have been able to easily
transport your mail out of the company.

OSTs are designed solely for offline use, there's no reason to allow you
to move them to another machine. You'd simply connect a different client
to connect to the Exchange server to get your mail.

..ost files are specific to the Outlook profile and SID created for that profile/mailbox. Once the mailbox is disconnected and you try to reconnect using a non-exchange profile, or even the same removed exchange profile, you will not be able to retrieve the contents of the ..ost file.

When you leave an Exchange enabled Company, the data belongs to them, not you and the SID enforces this as the case (one reason, among many, to use exchange mailboxes and not .pst files).

Only if you select to "work offline" and then try to reconnect to the ..ost file will you be able to access the contents. Otherwise, "your ..ost is toast".

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.

After furious head scratching, Tim123 asked:

| Hi, I was using Outlook 2003 at my previous employer on a MS Exchange
| server. Before I left I backed up my .ost file and .pst files.
| I am running Outlook 2007 at home and am trying to work out how to
| open the .ost folder. It appears to only be looking for .pst files.
|
| Can anyone help please?

Thats because you need OL set up in Exchange mode in order to access ost
files

"Tim123" <Tim123@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5E5E9C98-30E6-4FFF-A9B9-81F8A1228661@microsoft.com...
> Hi Mary, I tried that but the only option is to open .pst files, not .ost
> files.
>
> Someone replied below that I cannot do it which is disappointing. I cant
> for
> the life of me think why I shouldnt be able to do something so "simple"
>
> "Mary" wrote:
>
>> Are you trying to open the .ost file by using File, Open Outlook Data
>> File on
>> the Outlook menu? Then you can drag anything in that file to your new pst
>> file. You cannot import a data file without corrupting it, so don't use
>> Import.
>>
>> "Tim123" wrote:
>>
>> > Hi, I was using Outlook 2003 at my previous employer on a MS Exchange
>> > server.
>> > Before I left I backed up my .ost file and .pst files.
>> > I am running Outlook 2007 at home and am trying to work out how to open
>> > the
>> > .ost folder. It appears to only be looking for .pst files.
>> >
>> > Can anyone help please?

Thanks.
Is there any way to run Outlook in Exchange mode when not actualy conencted
to an Exchange server?
I tried changing the profile to be an exchange server and point at the ost
file but it needed to be connected to the server to open Outlook.

"DL" wrote:

> Thats because you need OL set up in Exchange mode in order to access ost
> files
>
> "Tim123" <Tim123@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:5E5E9C98-30E6-4FFF-A9B9-81F8A1228661@microsoft.com...
> > Hi Mary, I tried that but the only option is to open .pst files, not .ost
> > files.
> >
> > Someone replied below that I cannot do it which is disappointing. I cant
> > for
> > the life of me think why I shouldnt be able to do something so "simple"
> >
> > "Mary" wrote:
> >
> >> Are you trying to open the .ost file by using File, Open Outlook Data
> >> File on
> >> the Outlook menu? Then you can drag anything in that file to your new pst
> >> file. You cannot import a data file without corrupting it, so don't use
> >> Import.
> >>
> >> "Tim123" wrote:
> >>
> >> > Hi, I was using Outlook 2003 at my previous employer on a MS Exchange
> >> > server.
> >> > Before I left I backed up my .ost file and .pst files.
> >> > I am running Outlook 2007 at home and am trying to work out how to open
> >> > the
> >> > .ost folder. It appears to only be looking for .pst files.
> >> >
> >> > Can anyone help please?
>
>
>

> I tried changing the profile to be an exchange server and point at the ost
> file but it needed to be connected to the server to open Outlook.

Not only that. You must be connected to the *same* exchange server the OST
was created for. Even if you are able to build an Exchange server with
exactly the same settings, you'd still be unable to get your OST to open or
sync with your newly built Exchange. Just like someone says, it's for
security reasons. Your best bet is to get OST2PST tool (if I remember the
name correctly).

I meant to say no, you can't do that in your situation (because you've lost
the original Outlook profile that you used with the OST). However, if
Outlook profile is intact, of course you can run Outlook and read the
content of your OST without connecting to Exchange server. That's what an
OST is designed for.

Thanks John,
I tried ost2pst last night but it crashed during the conversion. There is
some chat around about it doing the same thing and other scans to run first,
other utilities to try first etc etc, but nothing particularly easy.

I'll keep plugging away.
The silly thing is that all my business email was in archive files and I
have them as pst's, it's mainly my personal stuff that was in my Inbox and
subfolders......

"John" wrote:

> <correction>
> I blindly replied earlier without thinking. Milly Staples' reply is correct.
> OST is tied to Outlook profile (and Exchange server). Lose Outlook profile,
> you'll lose OST as well.
>
> As I said earlier, I've heard of OST2PST tool but never actually used it.
> You may want to give that a try.
>
> "John" <a> wrote in message news:elyTfg3ZIHA.5160@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> >
> > "Tim123" <Tim123@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:D0A42DC3-447A-4E13-AD74-619A9608A115@microsoft.com...
> >> Thanks.
> >> Is there any way to run Outlook in Exchange mode when not actualy
> >> conencted
> >> to an Exchange server?
> >
> > Nope.
>
> I meant to say no, you can't do that in your situation (because you've lost
> the original Outlook profile that you used with the OST). However, if
> Outlook profile is intact, of course you can run Outlook and read the
> content of your OST without connecting to Exchange server. That's what an
> OST is designed for.
>
>
>

> I tried ost2pst last night but it crashed during the conversion.
> There is some chat around about it doing the same thing and other
> scans to run first, other utilities to try first etc etc, but nothing
> particularly easy.

There are commercially-available OST to PST converters that should be able
to do the job and Google is adept at finding them.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]